Despite being held to a 2-2 draw by Reading a point was enough for Hampstead & Westminster to secure top spot in the second stage of the Premier Division and with it a European place for 2026. Catherine Ledesma and Lucy Hyams twice game Hampstead a first half lead only to be pegged back by goals from Caroline Spence and Annie Wilson. Second placed Surbiton could have overtaken Hampstead with a win but were defeated 5-3 at home by East Grinstead. Giselle Ansley and Erica Sanders put Surbiton two up but goals from Biba Mills and Tess Howard made it 2-2 at the break. Darcy Bourne again put Surbiton in the lead but Howard equalised again and goals in the final quarter from Oliva Shannon and a second for Mills made it 5-3 to EG who finish fourth. Wimbledon in fifth beat Loughborough Students, who did not win a game in stage 2, 2-0.
The teams now go into play-offs with the two qualifying teams from the Lower 6. Pools are 1,4,5,8 and 2,3,6,7 positions. These are new pools and no points are carried over. Home matches are determined by teams’ standings at the end of stage 2. Teams If matches are drawn teams play a shootout for a bonus point. The top two teams in each pool play in crossover semi finals at the finals weekend at Nottingham Hockey Centre, 3-4 May.
Bowdon qualified for the play-offs but their four match winning streak was ended at Birmingham University who beat them 3-0. The result was not enough for Birmingham to secure a play-off place as they needed Clifton Robinsons to slip up against already relegated Sutton Coldfield. However Clifton won 2-1 to top the Lower 6 and join Bowdon. Nottingham University beat Holcombe 3-2.
Birmingham, Nottingham, Holcombe and Sutton play once more in the relegation play-offs with all points, goals for and against carried over from stage 1 and 2. The bottom two teams are relegated.
PLAY OFFS
POOL A
Sat 5 Apr – Hampstead & Westminster v Bowdon, East Grinstead v Wimbledon
Sat 12 Apr – Hampstead & Westminster v Wimbledon, East Grinstead v Bowdon
Sat 26 Apr – Hampstead & Westminster v East Grinstead, Wimbledon v Bowdon
POOL B
Sat 5 Apr – Surbiton v Clifton Robinsons, Reading v Loughborough Students
Sat 12 Apr – Surbiton v Loughborough Students, Reading v Clifton Robinsons
Sat 26 Apr – Surbiton v Reading, Loughborough Students v Clifton Robinsons
RELEGATION PLAY OFFS
Sat 5 Apr – Birmingham University v Holcombe, Nottingham University v Sutton Coldfield
Sat 12 Apr – Sutton Coldfield v Birmingham University, Nottingham University v Holcombe
Sat 26 Apr – Birmingham University v Nottingham University, Holcombe v Sutton Coldfield
TOP SCORERS
Biba Mills (East Grinstead) 13
Darcy Bourne (Surbiton) 12
Becky Manton (Wimbledon) 11
Lucy Hyams (Hampstead & Westminster) 10
Mia Moore (Reading) 10
Maddie Axford (University of Nottingham) 9
Ellie Mackenzie (Surbiton) 9
CLEAN SHEETS
Miriam Pritchard (Hampstead & Westminster) 5
Amber Walton (Surbiton) 4
Mila Welch (East Grinstead) 4
Evie Wood (University of Birmingham) 4
Jessica Buchanan (Wimbledon) 3
Nicola Cochrane (Reading) 3
Aline de Visser (Clifton Robinsons) 3
Molly Smith (Loughborough Students) 3
